Ice makers may be included with refrigerators, or may be stand-alone units. In general, the ice maker includes a water source, a cooling source, a mold, and an ejecting mechanism. Water is added to the mold, and the cooling source removes heat from the water to lower the temperature below freezing, at which time ice cubes are formed. Once the cubes have formed, the ejecting mechanism operates to remove or eject the formed cubes from the molds, at which point new water can be added and the process repeated.
The ejected ice cubes are generally directed towards an ice container or ice storage bin. In refrigerators and in stand-alone units, the ice container is located generally adjacent the ice maker so that the formed ice cubes do not have to travel a long distance from the ice maker. Furthermore, the cooled air of the cooling source may be used to direct cold air to the ice container to keep the ice cubes in the ice container below freezing to prevent the cubes from melting.
In a refrigerator, the ice maker and ice container may be positioned on the inside of a refrigerator compartment or freezer compartment door, with the ice maker generally positioned above the ice container such that gravity causes the formed ice cubes to fall from the ice maker to the ice container. The cooling source in a refrigerator may be cold air that is directed from the freezer compartment to the ice maker. The cooling source may also be any other cooling source known to those skilled in the art such as additional evaporators. The below-freezing air from the freezer removes enough heat to freeze the water in the ice molds. The same air may also be passed into the ice container to prevent the cubes from melting.
However, as the amount of cubes accumulate in the ice container, it becomes more difficult to ensure that all of the cubes are at a temperature to prevent melting. If air is passed into the container, it may not reach cubes that are located below other cubes. Warm air may also be introduced to the ice container if a door is opened or the ice container is opened to retrieve ice from the container. In any sense, the cubes in the container may experience some melting and refreezing. The melting and refreezing of the cubes can cause multiple cubes to freeze together, forming ice clumps. Sublimation may also lead to ice cubes clumping. The ice clumps are too large to fit through a dispenser opening, and therefore, it is important to provide means to prevent clumping, or to break up the clumps.
Stir sticks have been added to ice containers to aid in preventing and breaking up ice clumps. The stir sticks are configured to rotate within an ice container to move the cubes and to direct the cubes towards a dispensing area. However, the size and shape of ice containers do not make it feasible for the stir sticks to reach the full area within the containers. Therefore, there are areas within the container that still include conditions that allow the formation of ice clumps.